the big cupboard, and they thought
no more about it.

One day as she sat by the fire with Yollande, watching the dinner,
a bright and whimsical idea occurred to the maid. "Supposing I
were to try the ointment on the hen? But--it might be good for
feathers too--anyhow, it could not do any harm."

Saying this she went, found the ointment, and delicately rubbed a
little onto Yollande's head. Yollande did not appear to mind at
all. Germaine did this three days running.

Two weeks later Mother Etienne while dressing her hen, as she did
each day, found a thick reddish down sprouting round her head like
a little flat wig. She showed it to Germaine, who paid no
attention, having quite forgotten her childish trick.

But during the next few days the wig prospered; the hair was two
finger-breadths long, very thick and curly. Mother Etienne could
not understand it at all. Germaine could not, at first, make up
her mind to confess to her mistress what she had done.

At last one evening, Mother Etienne being in a particularly good
humour, the young girl took courage and told her all about it. Far
from scolding her, her mistress was delighted, and so pleased at
the news that she there and then undressed Yollande and rubbed her
from head to foot with Father Gusson's marvellous ointment. She
did the thing thoroughly--rubbing it into every pore. Then they
made a good fire so that the poor little model, thus exposed,
should not take cold.

After that they watched her every instant; they were for ever
undressing her to see if the cure was working--they could hardly
bear to wait. Just think--if it were to succeed. It would be the
end and aim of all their care. Yollande could once again take her
proper place in the world.

At last what had happened to the head, happened to the body too.
Before a week had gone by a thick down completely covered the big
hen. The good women, much wondering, imagined that as it grew
stronger the hair would change into feathers. Anxiously they
awaited the change. Nothing of the sort happened. The hair
remained hair--red, Titian red--fine and soft, curling round your
fingers, admirable in quality and colour.

The hair on the head, older than that on the rest of the body, was
much longer, which suggested to the mischievous Germaine the idea
of making her an elaborate headdress.

Nothing like it had ever been seen before.

Soon Yollande was able to discard some of her clothes. Her breast
and back requ